HEIGHT OF BALLOONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7765, 24 July 1903, Page 2

HEIGHT OF BALLOONS.

INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS BY A MEDICAL AERONAUT.

Greatly increased heights in balloon ascents may be the result of physiological experiments made by Dr Knott, of Lee, recently, in the car of a balloon 11,700 ft above the surface of the earth.

The doctor's experiments, although in the initial stage, go to show that the-stupe-faction and death which* overtake aeronauts at extreme altitudes are probably due not so much to the direct effects of the decreased atmospheric pressure as to the poisonous ga-s which at great heights pours down from the open mouth of the balloon on to the occupants of the car.

Dr Knott is an experienced aeronaut. On a Saturday he made the first of an elaborate series of experiments designed to throw light on the physical changes which take place in persons at great heights. He ascended from, the Crystal Palace with Mr Percival Spencer, the well-known aeronaut, and when the balloon Was 11,700 ft above the carth — an extraordinary height for ai passenger balloon — he tested the pulsations, respirations and temperatures of Mr Spencer, of himself and of Mr Norfolk, the third traveller. .

PULSATION INCREASED

"In healthy persons," said Dr Knott, " the pulse beats four times to one respiration, and* that ratio is supposed 1 never to vary. But after reaching 11,000 ft I found that our pulsations were five to one respiration. There was also a certain flabbiness about our heart movements.

" At this time wo were getting nauseating doses of gas from the mouth of the bnlfaon, the gas escaping rapidly owing to* the decreased atmospheric, pressure at this great height. I cannot speak definitely until my experiments are complete, but I believe that the nausea, the intoxication and the •ultimate death of aeronauts who reach extraordinary heights are due to the effects of the gas and' not to atmospheric conditions. There has, so far as I know, never been a post-mortem <m a man who has died in this way. • . .

"Of course, the decreased pressure at great heights has certain effect's on people, but the stupefaction and death are, I think, due to the ga-s. A man may he in pain, but so long -as he is not stupefied he is not incapable. If one could construct a balloon from which gas would not descend) on the aeronauts muchy greater heights would probably be reached.

; "The record now, stands, I believe, at ahout six miles. There was not the slightest change in our physical condition until the g-as mad© its presence felt."